Middle Orient

Spotlight on Iran and the Shiite Axis

On June 13, 2025, Israel launched a preemptive attack in Iran, which includes attacks againstdozens of military and security targets, government targets, and nuclear facilities. SeniorIranian regime officials accuse Israel of committing “crimes” and continue to threaten thatIsrael will continue to pay a “heavy price” for its ongoing attacks. Before …

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As Israel and Iran trade blows, Hezbollah stays on the sidelines

Hezbollah’s strategic restraint amid escalating Iran-Israel hostilities marks a significant shift in the region’s balance of deterrence. Once seen as Tehran’s most loyal and responsive proxy, its decision to hold back, even after the assassination of its leader and heavy blows to its infrastructure over the past 18 months, signals …

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How will Yemen’s Houthis respond to Israel’s war against Iran?

On 15 June, Houthi spokesperson Yahya Saree claimed that the Yemeni group had struck Israel with “hypersonic ballistic missiles” in coordination with the Iranian military. Saree boasted that the Houthi operations against “sensitive Israeli targets” in Jaffa had “successfully achieved their objectives”. While Saree’s bombastic claims about the efficacy of …

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Here’s what could happen next in the Iran-Israel war

On 12 June, Israel launched ‘Operation Rising Lion’, attacking Iran’s main enrichment facility in Natanz and parts of the Iranian ballistic missile program, and killing several Iranian nuclear scientists. In the aftermath of the attack, which killed over 200 Iranian civilians, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued an English-language address …

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Why Western sanctions on Israel are a face-saving manoeuvre

The recent sanctions imposed by the UK and its allies on Israeli ministers Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich were heralded in some quarters as a long-overdue moral stance against rising extremism within Israel’s leadership. Yet beneath the surface of this headline-grabbing gesture lies a far more calculated and cynical strategy …

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Activities of Saeed Izadi, Head of the Qods Forces’ “Palestine Branch,” Reflected in Captured Documents – The Meir Amit Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center

Izadi (circled) in a meeting with a Hamas delegation during a visit to Tehran. At the right is the late Isma’il Haniyeh, at the time head of Hamas’ political bureau, and second from the left is Mohammad Bagheri, chief of staff of the Iranian armed forces (DefaPress, March 30, 2024) …

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8 Things to Know About China’s Response to Israel-Iran Conflict

Israel’s military campaign against Iran has exposed the chasm between China’s great power rhetoric and its ability to meaningfully shape events in the Middle East. To be sure, Beijing backs Tehran as its biggest buyer of sanctioned crude oil, and both describe their relationship as a “comprehensive strategic partnership.” Yet …

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Israel Eliminates Additional Nuclear Weapons Facilities, Internal Security Forces in Iran

Latest Developments Nuclear-Related Facilities Destroyed: The IDF reported striking Iran’s SPND headquarters in Tehran for a second time this week in addition to sites related to Iran’s production of ballistic missiles and internal security. The SPND, established by the architect of Iran’s nuclear weapons program, Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, in 2011, oversees …

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Hezbollah’s Role in the Israel-Iran War Is to Await Iran’s Orders

Hezbollah was supposed to be Tehran’s insurance policy if Israel contemplated attacking Iran — the group’s massive arsenal either deterring the Israelis or, failing that, acting as the Islamic Republic’s first line of response. But so far, even after the intense bombardment of Iranian targets as part of Operation Rising …

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Israel Targets Arak Heavy Water Reactor and Weaponization Sites, Destroys Additional Missile Launchers in Iran

Latest Developments Arak (Khondab) Nuclear Reactor Struck: The IDF bombed Iran’s Arak heavy water reactor amid a wave of fresh strikes on Iran that also targeted a site used to develop nuclear weapons near Natanz and dozens of military sites. The IDF stated that it targeted the Arak reactor’s “core …

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